"Israel must have the ability always to defend itself, against any threat, and when it comes to Israel`s security, Israel has the right -- a sovereign right to make its own decisions," he said.
"Israel must reserve the right to defend itself," said Netanyahu. "After all, that`s the very purpose of the Jewish state: to restore to the Jewish people control over our destiny."
He added that the supreme responsibility as the prime minister of Israel is to ensure that the Jewish state "remains the master of its fate."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday met with U.S. President Barack Obama in their ninth and likely most significant meeting between the two.
"This is one of the most important meetings that an Israeli prime minster will ever have in Washington because this will determine whether or not Israel is going to use force against Iran or not," Prof. Eytan Gilboa of Bar-Ilan University told Xinhua prior to the meeting.
"What Obama wants is a commitment from Israel not to use force, at least until after the presidential elections in November. Israel wants from the United States that it fulfills its commitment to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power," he added. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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